An automated dispensing cabinet, such as for example, an automated inventory vending machine is typically a controlled inventory storage device or cabinet that allows inventory to be securing stored and dispensed near a point-of-sale and/or point-of-use. The use of vending machines for providing various products, such as soft drinks or snacks, is well known. Typical vending machines provide for a plurality of receptacles (e.g., rows, trays or columns) for holding units of products, and a dispensing mechanism operable to dispense a product from each receptacle.
A vending machine typically holds a finite number of units of products and is refilled by an operator (e.g., a route driver) on a periodic or non-periodic basis. An operator typically loads a vending machine with a number of units of a variety of different products. For example, a first tray may be loaded with a plurality of units of a first product while a second tray may be loaded with a plurality of units of a second product. An operator typically determines how many units of each product to load based on past experience regarding demand for the products or simply by instinct as to what a user may like.
Configuration, optimization, and/or inventory control of a conventional dispensing machine has heretofore been an inexact science relying upon standard and/or stock configurations for applicability across many different dispensing customers. More particularly, to date there have been no known tools for allowing a customer and/or a service provider the ability to visually customize inventory in a dispensing cabinet while providing access to a catalog of products stored in a wholesale organizations data repository.
Therefore, it would, therefore be advantageous for a dispensing cabinet provider, manufacturer, and/or user to be able to customize and/or configure inventory in a dispensing machine for individual needs and/or preferences. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a system based tool able to access a large variety of products typically provided by a wholesaler during customization.